Ollie Watkins insists Aston Villa’s double pivot of Douglas Luiz and Boubacar Kamara has been the key to the club’s strong form under Unai Emery.
Both players play very different yet crucial roles in Emery’s structure, as Luiz offers creativity and takes responsibility in build-up, while Kamara is capable of dropping into a back three when in possession. The France international has excelled in that role, but will often remain in midfield with Luiz to provide defensive solidity in the middle of the park.
Kamara has recorded 76 passes into the final third this season, which is the fifth-most of all players in the league, while only four midfielders in the division have more than his 19 tackles. His partner Luiz has been in immense form under Emery and returned to the Brazil national team squad this month.
Villa currently sit in fifth position during the break after winning eight of their first 12 Premier League games and Watkins – who has bagged six league goals – believes the club’s midfield dynamic has been crucial.
“It’s working really well and Dougie and Bouba are so good in midfield,” the Villa striker said. “I think they are the key to it really. When they don’t get on the ball as much, we don’t get as many opportunities.
“For them, controlling the game and playing little passes between them to suck the midfield in and then play it to someone like Moussa, that’s what we work on a lot.”
Speaking about Villa’s home form, Watkins added: “I think we have definitely made it hard for teams to come here. Before, it was a nice place to come for teams, they could come here and play football.
“Maybe they knew the crowd – if we hadn’t scored after the first 20 minutes – they would get a bit edgy. Now, I think the fans have full confidence in us that we will score and it is a really nice place to play.”
Watkins earned a recall to the England squad last month given his impressive start to the season, before being named in Gareth Southgate’s latest Three Lions squad. It’s been some start to the campaign for Watkins, who was also handed a new Villa contract in October.
“I am so happy here and I think that is why I decided just to get the contract situation done early and it gives me a bit of freedom. I don’t have to think too much about it, I can just go out here and express myself.
“I know my club form has to be good and I know I have to be scoring goals constantly to be up there and to try and make that [England] squad. Strikers are scoring every week so I know I have to be doing that to get in that squad.”
